Huntsville gazette., 1887-09-03

reason to believe that he passed
through the entire British army with
out detection or even exciting sus-
plcion.
Finding the British had crossed to
New York, he followed them. He made
his way back to Long Island, and near
ly reached the point opposite Norwalk,
where he had originally landed. Rem
dered perhaps too bold by success, he
went into well-known and popular
tavern, entered into conversation with
the guests, and made himself very
agreeable. A man present suspecting
or knowing that he was not the char
acter he assumed, quietly left the room,
communicated his suspicious to the
captain of a British ship anchored near.
who dispatched boats crew to cap
ture and bring on board the agreeable
stranger. His true character was i'm
mediately revealed. Drawings of some
of the British works, with notes in
Latin, were found hidden in the soles
of his shoes. Nor did he attempt to
deceive his captors, and the English
captain. ming, as he said. that
$50 fine a fellow had fallen into
his power" sent him to New York
in one of his boats, and with him the
fatal proofs that he was spy.
September 81 was the day on which
he reached New York-the day of the
great fire which laid one-third of the
little city in ashes. From the time of
his departure from General Washing
tons camp TO that of his return to New
York was about fourteen days. He
was taken to General Howe's head
quarters at the Beekman mansion, on
the East River, near the corner of the
present Fifty-first street and First ave-
nue.. 1t is strange coincidence that
this house to which he was brought to
be tried as a spy was the very one from
which Major Andre departed when he
went to West Point. Tradition says
that Captain Hale was examined in a
greenhouse which stood in the garden
of the Beekman mansion.
Short was his trial, for he avowed
at once his true character. The British
General signed an order to his provost
marshal directing him to receive into
his custody the prisoner convicted as a
spy, and to see him hanged by the neck
tomorrow morning at daybreak."
Terrible things are reported Of the
manner in which this noble prisoner,
this admirable gentleman and hero,
was treated by his jailer and execu-
toner. There are savages in every
large army, and it is possible that this
provost-marshal was one of them. 1t
is said that he refused him writing ma
terials, and afterwards, when Captain
Hale had been furnished them by 9TH
ers, destroyed before his face his last
letters to his mother and to the young
lady to whom he was engaged to be
married. AS those letters were never
received this statement may be true.
The other alleged horrors of the execu-
ton it is safe to disregard, because we
know that it was conducted in the usual
form and in the presence of many spec
tators and considerable body of
troops. One fact shines out from the
distracting confusion Of that morning,
which will be cherished to the latest
posterity as precious ingOt OF the
moral treasures of the American peo-
pie. When asked if he had any thing tc
say, Captain Hale replied:
81 only regret that | have but one life
to lose for my country"
The scene of his execution was prob
ably an old graveyard in Chambers
street, which was then called Barrack
street. General Howe formally notified
General Washington of his execution.
In recent years. through the industry
of investigators, the pathos and sublim-
ity of these events have been in part re-
vealed.
A few weeks ago n bronze statue of
the Young hero was unveiled in the
State House at Hartford. Mr.. Charles
Dudley Warner delivered a beautiful
address suitable to the occasion, and
Governor Lounsberry worthily accepted
the statue on behalf of the State. 1t is
greatly to be regretted that our knowl-
edge of this noble martyr is so slight;
but we know enough to be sure that he
merits the veneration of his country
men.-Jonaes Parton, mn. J. Ledger.
a GREAT TUNNEL.